


i hope you're right by me.

by milevenmirkwood



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Modern AU, Parental Mike and El
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-06 21:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8769979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milevenmirkwood/pseuds/milevenmirkwood
Summary: At that moment El's phone rang and she pushed Mike away, answering immediately."Jane are you okay? J-Jane? Jane honey what's wrong. I can't understand you. Where's Richie? Is Richie okay?"Mike could hear his daughter sobbing on the other end and he felt his heart drop. He moved around the living room quickly."Where is she El? Ask her where she is!" Mike yelled, searching desperately"Jane honey, slowly tell me where you are." El said and listened carefully.





	

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ!  
> So you guys really like my previous story with parental Mike and El! I was gonna hold off posting this, but it's my birthday and I'm in a good mood (not that I'm saying you guys were dying for this!) Anyway I'm really glad you guys liked it and I'm happy to announce this will be my first series of one shots! I have tons of ideas with this AU and I'm super excited to see this series grow. If you didn't read my previous fic, no worries. Here are some elements the will be constants throughout the series.  
> 1\. Mike and El are currently in their 40s  
> 2\. Jane will always the older sibling with her and Richie being 3 years apart.  
> 4\. The Wheeler's live in Bloomington, Indiana. Since Hawkins is fictional, let's say Hawkins and Bloomington are only a couple of hours away.  
> 5\. Richie was born with El's powers.
> 
> I think that's about it! Enjoy the fic and I'll see ya afterwards!

"Richie come on! The library closes in half an hour." Jane said, trying to drag her brother from the arcade machine. She had been studying at Starbucks with her friends after school while Richie went to the arcade with his friends. Jane parted with her friends a few hours later to pick her brother up, only to remember her almost due library book.

  
"Wait! I'm about to beat my high score!" he said, not looking away from the screen.  
"You've been saying that for 20 minutes!"  
"Just go it's only like 10 minutes away."  
"Ugh! Fine but as soon as I get back, we're leaving." she said, gathering her things.  
"If you weren't giggling with your friends about boys, you would've remembered." he said, mashing buttons.  
"If you studied as much as you played video games, you wouldn't be failing geometry." she shot back.  
"How do you know that?" he turned to her quickly, eyes wide. He quickly turned back to the game with a 'Dammit!'

  
Jane made her way out the arcade, crossing her arm and wishing she brought a coat to combat the early December breeze, pulling out her phone and earphones. She put them in and shuffled through her playlist until she found a song she liked. Making her way down she street, she turned the volume down to a level where she could hear her music and everything around her. It was only 6:25, but the night sky was as black like it was midnight. The darkness and lack of people commuting put her on edge, making her pick up the pace.

  
...

  
"Woooo!" Richie yelled, throwing both fists in the air. Braden, the owner, clapped him on the back  
"Congrats man! I can't wait to tell Miles that a thirteen year old beat his high score." he said, laughing.  
"Don't tell him without me! I wanna see his face." Richie said, smirking.

  
Richie's eyes were sore and he squeezed them shut. He opened them, blinking rapidly, finally looking around the arcade. There was significantly less people and Richie glanced at his watch. Holy shit it was five past 7!

  
Richie gathered his things and walked out, looking up and down the street. He frowned, a sinking feeling in his stomach forming. He activated Siri to call Jane and anxiously waited for her to pick up. Richie then heard her familiar ringtone and rushed over to the sound, coming up on a dark alley.

  
"Jane?" he called out.  
He was about to flip on his flashlight at the lack of response.  
"Richie!" she yelled out, voice watery and panicked.

  
Richie rushed down the alley and flicked on his flashlight, the sight making his heart drop. Jane was held at knifepoint by a masked man while two other masked men stood beside her. Her hair was a mess, eye blackened and lip split open. Her maroon sweater was torn, but to his relief her jeans were still buttoned.

  
"Let her go!" Richie yelled.  
"Get him!"  
"No! No please don't hurt him! Please!" Jane begged, tears running down her face. The man held the knife closer to her throat, telling her to shut up.  
"Let her go!"  
"Fine. She's too squirmy anyway." the man said. He then grabbed Jane by the back of the head and slammed her head against a nearby wall. Jane dropped to the ground and Richie felt his heart beat wildly.

  
"The fuck are you doing standing there? Grab him!" the one who was holding Jane yelled.  
Time seemed to slow as Richie's heart sped up. Richie started with the one charging at him, throwing him to the side with a sickening crack.

  
"What the fuck?!" the other one yelled. He then pulled something out of his back pocket, a gun. The man raised it and Richie twitched his head to the side, breaking the man's arm, and threw him against the other wall. Last was the one who held Jane. Richie glared at the man, blood leaking from nose and ears. He approached the man slowly.

  
"Hey! Hey stay away from me!"

  
Richie staggered, black dots clouding his vision. The masked man noticed and stepped forward.  
"What the hell are you?"

  
Richie lifted his hand, but the world was spinning too fast and he fell to his knees. He lifted his head and saw Jane slowly sit up with a groan, but the man didn't hear her. Richie grunted as the man kicked him in the stomach, falling to the ground.

  
"Can't get up? Huh? Can't get up, you fucking freak!" he yelled, kicking Richie in the side and face over and over.  
"One less freak in the world." he said coldly, pulling out his knife.

  
Three shots rang out and the man collapsed, narrowly onto Richie. Jane stood, smoking gun in hand. She froze for a while, too shocked to move or speak. Finally she came to, dropping the gun and ran over to Richie.

  
"Richie?" she said as she knelt down. She gently shook him, leaning her face close to his. His face was black and blue and too pale. Blood was oozing from his nose, mouth and ears. Jane sobbed harder as she realized he wasn't breathing.  
"Richie! Richie!" she yelled, shaking him harder.  
With shaky hands, she reached in her pocket and pulled her phone.

  
...

  
El paced back and forth across the living room, running her hands through her shoulder length chestnut hair.

  
"El come on. You need to relax." Mike said from the couch.  
"How can I relax Mike? How can you? Are you even worried at all?" El snapped, immediately regretting her words.  
"Of course I care El, but both of us panicking won't do any good." Mike said, standing and enveloping her into a hug.  
El sighed, wrapping her arms around his center as he stroked her hair.

  
"Mike what if something horrible happened?"  
"Stop thinking like that. Everything will be okay. They can take care of themselves." he said softly.  
At that moment El's phone rang and she pushed Mike away, answering immediately.

  
"Jane are you okay? J-Jane? Jane honey what's wrong. I can't understand you. Where's Richie? Is Richie okay?"  
Mike could hear his daughter sobbing on the other end and he felt his heart drop. He moved around the living room quickly.  
"Where is she El? Ask her where she is!" Mike yelled, searching desperately.  
"Jane honey, slowly tell me where you are." El said and listened carefully.

  
"Dammit where the fuck are my keys?!"  
"She's by the arcade! She's by the arcade."  
"I can't find my keys!"  
"Check your coat pocket. Jane are you okay? Is Richie okay?"  
Keys ringing filled the air. Mike and El quickly grabbed their coats, slipping on random pairs of shoes, and left.

  
...

  
"Jane!" Mike yelled out.  
"Dad!"

  
Mike and El followed her voice, finding their daughter kneeling in a dark alley with Richie's head resting on her shoulder. El put a hand on her chest, before running over to her children. She sobbed as she pulled Jane into a tight hug. El then pulled Richie into her arms, stroking his long black hair. Mike rushed forward, kneeling down and hugging Jane tightly. He shrugged off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. Mike's heart clenched as she softly sobbed into his chest.

  
"Richie?" Mike asked, voice shaky.  
"Hey dad." he said weakly, and Mike felt tears of his own.  
"Are you two alright? What happened?"  
"I w-was walking from the library and a man called out for h-help. I came down here and t-then...and then-" Jane said, hiccuping.  
"Shh. Shh baby it's alright. It's okay." Mike said softly.  
"Richie. He saved me. He stopped breathing and... are you sure you're okay?"  
"Just tired." he said and El held him tighter, kissing his hair.  
Mike shifted, pulling out his phone. He sighed, calling the only person that can help them now.

  
Two hours later, Hopper walked up to family. They hadn't moved a muscle, cuddling up to each other for comfort and warmth.

  
"Dad." El said.  
Hopper pulled her and Richie off the ground.  
"Take the kids home Ellie." he said and El nodded. Mike and Jane reluctantly separated, Jane going with her mother.  
"Dad?" Jane asked.  
"It's going to be okay Janey. I promise." Mike said as El lead them back to the car.

  
Hopper sighed, looking over at Mike.  
"What are we going to do with them?" he asked.  
"Do you want to protect your family? Our family?" Hop asked, pulling out a cigarette.  
"Of course."  
"Then you just do as I say. You know why you called, cause I know what to do. And what were doing, it ain't gonna be pretty." he said, lighting his cigarette.

  
...

  
Mike didn't get home until almost one in the morning, visibly tired and not wearing the clothes he left in. El scrambled to him, concerned.  
"Mike?" she asked.  
"It's alright, El. It's over." he said and El wrapped her arms around him. They stood like that for a while, Mike kissing the top of her head. A million questions danced on the tip of her tongue, but just bit her lip.

  
"Where are the kids?" he asked.  
"Upstairs. They went to their rooms, but I'm pretty sure they're together."  
"Can you blame them?" he said, pulling away from El. She gave him a small smile and grabbed his hand.  
"Come on. Let's try to get some sleep."

  
They made their way upstairs, quickly checking on the kids. Richie wasn't in his room, so they checked Jane's. Jane was on her bed while Richie slept on the floor.  
"Mom? Dad?" Jane whispered, sitting up.

  
"Just checking in on you honey. Try to get some sleep, okay?" Mike said.  
"If you need anything, come find us." El added. Jane nodded.  
"Is... is everything okay?" Jane asked and Mike nodded, saying nothing.

  
Mike and El quickly changed, Mike sighing as he sunk into the mattress. El curled up to him, using her powers to switch off the lights. After the night they've had, Mike was almost disturbed by how tired he was. He was almost asleep when he felt El shake beside him, a wetness forming on his shirt.

  
"El?"  
El looked up at him, eyes pink and wet with tears.  
"Yeah?" she asked in a small voice.  
"El! Come on honey, don't do that." he said, pulling her closer.  
"It's so horrible Mike. They're so young." she sobbed and Mike felt tears of his own forming.

  
"I know, I know. They had to El. Imagine what would have happened to Jane if Richie wasn't there. I mean, don't imagine it but like...imagine imagining it." Mike said and El couldn't help but let out a small laugh. El buried her face in his side, tears falling less and less.

  
"Are you gonna ask?" Mike said softly and El looked up at him. "What we did. Hop and I."  
El let out a shaky breath.  
"Do you want me to?" she asked and Mike shook his head. "Will we be okay?"  
"I think so. I think so." Mike said, pulling her closer.

  
...

  
Jane rolled onto her back, staring up at her ceiling fan as her tears fell into her hair. She focused on the blades of her fan, the blades moving almost too fast for the eye. It always annoyed her, needing to be practically freezing to go to sleep. She paid all her attention on one blade, the single blade seeming to slow down amongst the others. It was something she never really understood why she did it, but she just needed to.

  
_"Hey baby. How you doin?"_  
_"You sure are a sweet looking thing."_  
_"Real sweet to come down her to help us."_  
_"Please..."_  
_"Aw she's already begging for it."_  
_Jane squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think as loud a possible._  
_"Get away from me!" she said, voice breaking._  
_"What'd you say little girl?"_  
_"If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut."_  
_Jane opened her mouth to scream only to double over at the blow she received to the stomach. A burst of pain erupted as she received another blow to left side of her face. She sobbed loudly as she was pulled up by the back of the head. Flinching, she shivered at the draft of the cold air on her skin as they tore at her sweater._  
_"Please..." she whimpered. Jane choked on her sobs as the cool blade touched the warm skin of her throat._  
_"What did I just fucking say?" one of the men whispered harshly into her ear._  
_All of a sudden her phone rang out._  
_"Someone grab her fucking phone!" one of the other men whispered._  
_"Jane?"_

  
"J-Jane?" a voice whispered in the darkness.  
She sat up, seeing the top of Richie's head from the foot of the bed.  
"Yeah?" she asked, voice watery and weak.  
"Was just seeing if you were up." Richie said, voice just as vulnerable.

  
He underestimated Jane's angle, assuming she couldn't see him shaking with silent sobs and started to lay back down.  
"Richie come here." Jane sighed, wiping her tears away.  
"I'm fine." he said, trying to stifle a sniffle.  
"Come here." she said firmly, but softly.

  
Richie was on the bed in a flash, burying his face into her other pillow and his back to her. Jane didn't mind, she understood he didn't want her to see him cry. "Thank you." she whispered. Richie stayed statuesque, but softened as Jane pulled him closer and kissed his black hair. She pulled away to lay back and waited for sleep to come. Eventually her eyes fell heavy at the sound of Richie's steady breathing.

  
They all stayed home the next day. El made an entire box of eggos and they curled up on the couch. The family, needing a distraction, watched the entire Star Wars series, despite how much Mike hated the prequels. Their tension and fear slowly fizzled away, snuggling into each other with the sound of TIE fighters in the air and the smell of syrup.

  
...

  
Despite their day off, things got worse before they got better. It was quiet before the storm, a nearly three month quiet. A crack form in the dam that was their family. Everyday that crack grew.

  
Jane pulled back from everyone, barley saying 40 words to her family in a day. She'd leave for school in the morning and go straight to her room after school. At least every two weeks, she'd leave and just wander around the city. She'd come home just in time to delete the voicemail from the school about her absence.

  
Richie woke up in the middle of the night almost daily, torn with nightmares. They were always the same, he was horror to be reckon with. He knew what he could do in his dreams he could never do in real life, but it didn't make a difference. Richie saw what other people saw him as. A monster.

  
Their grades started to slip and they saw less and less of their friends everyday, not that they had the energy to hang out with them. Mike and El had never felt so frustrated in their lives.

  
El's heart broke nearly every time she saw her children, once bright and full of life and energy now tired and weak and broken. She tried talking to them, but she knew they weren't listening. All she wanted was for them to open up, but the more she tried the more they closed her out.

  
Mike wanted nothing more than to talk to them, say anything but he knew. It was all too similar to how he felt so long ago, empty and tired and alone. Nothing anyone could say would help. He refused to listen to anyone, about grief or logic or encouragement. He felt like his father, just useless. The worst part was that all he wanted was to speak up, his voice always catching in his throat. A coward. A coward watching his family fall apart.

  
The family was all seated at the dinner table when the dam finally broke.  
"Jane, Richie did you remember your progress reports?" Mike asked.  
Jane and Richie exchanged glances, Richie's panicked and Jane indifferent.

  
"Uh no. I think I left it in my gym locker." Richie said.  
"Yeah and I can't find mine anywhere. It might have fallen out of my bag." Jane said, pushing her peas around her plate.  
Mike looked over at El, who had a conflicted look on her face. She knew the kids needed to be punished, but she hated doing it.

  
"Well it's a good thing we went online and saw your grades for ourselves." Mike said, looking between the two.  
"Why do you do that?" Jane asked, rolling her eyes.  
"Do what?"  
"Ask questions you know the answer to."  
"Maybe for once I want my kids to tell the truth. I shouldn't have to go behind your backs to get an honest answer. I shouldn't have to be called from my job to know that you've been skipping school Jane." Mike said sternly.

  
She looked at her father with wide eyes, face growing red.  
"Why am I getting yelled at? Richie's failing too!"  
"Because-"  
"Because what? He's the baby, the favorite?" Jane asked bitterly.  
"Jane stop it." El said, speaking up.

  
"You guys stop! All you've cared about is Richie! Richie this, Richie that!"  
"Because you won't talk to us!" Mike argued back.  
"Jane, honey please all we want to do is help." El said gently.

  
"Maybe I don't want your help, okay?! I don't need your help, I don't need anyone to help me or save me! I'm tired of everyone looking at me like I-I'm fragile or broken or weak. Just stop! I can take care of myself."  
Jane got up quickly and started to stalk away from the table.

  
"Jane." El said, getting up but Mike was faster. He reached out and grabbed Jane's arm. Jane spun around quickly, looking up at her father and desperately trying to hold everything in. 

"Jane." Mike said, almost pleading and Jane exploded into sobs. Mike pulled her close and she went into his arms without hesitation, sobbing into her father's chest. Mike held her tightly, stroking her hair softly.

"I-It's all my fault. I'm sorry!" she sobbed violently.  
"No honey. No it's not. You can't blame yourself for this, you didn't know. You made a mistake, but we could have lost you. You need to talk to us, don't bottle this up. Please Jane." Mike whispered, tears welling.  
"I'm sorry dad."

  
They stood like that for who knows how long, until Mike felt a gentle touch on his arm. He looked up to see El and Richie, both their eyes wet. Mike and Jane seperated briefly, opening their arms to El and Richie. The Wheeler's held each other tightly, just like they had that infamous night, sniffiles and kisses floating around.

  
"Both of you, please come to us. Talk to us. We can't stand seeing you like this." El said, holding them tighter.  
Richie nodded, burying his face further into his mother.

  
...

  
The dreaded storm was violent, but thankfully quick and painless. El called her mother and father that Sunday, like she normally did bi weekly. Hopper suggested the seek out therapy, giving El the contact info of a therapist he saw with his ex-wife shortly after Sarah died. El was understandablely hesitant, gently reminding her father about his troubles despite the therapy. Hopper understood and defended that he didn't wasn't compliant with the therapist, that he trusted that woman more than anyone.

  
To the Wheeler's suprise Dr. Helen Brenton was still alive, very old, but alive with a warm southern accent. Mike made the appointment and now they sat in the waiting room. Richie and Jane were both on their phones absent mindedly, but Mike could see the nervousness on their faces and the tension in their bodies. El however was far less conspicious, bouncing her leg up and down. Mike couldn't help but smirk, his bad habit transferring to her. El felt him looking at him and looked up at Mike. El's tension evaporated at the sight of his soft dark eyes, the same eyes she could get lost in even after all these years. Mike grabbed onto her clammy hand and kissed the palm.

  
"I love you." he mouthed and El smiled, remembering the first time she told him those three words.  
"I-."  
"Wheeler family?" the secretary called out. The all looked up to see a very tiny old woman in the doorway of her office. The woman smiled warmly at the family, ushering the into the room.

  
"El Hopper. Jim's told me a lot about you." Dr. Brenton said settling into her leather chair.  
"Really?"  
"Yes yes! We don't talk often, but I like to check in on him from time to time. And you know what?" she asked, smiling.  
El's eyebrows rose and nodded, urging the woman on.  
"He sounds happier and happier every time I call. Every time and I think you are large part of that happiness, Miss El."

  
Mike looked over at El, who wore the largest smile he'd seen in a long time. Jane and Richie looked at their mother and couldn't help but smile at her happiness.  
"Really?" El asked. She knew the effect she had on Hopper's life, but she didn't like to dwell on the broken man her father once was.

  
Dr. Brenton nodded with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you honey. And you're lovely family. Now seems you all have come into some hardships?"  
"Uh yes. We-"  
"You can't tell anyone what we tell you, right? Like it's illegal?" Richie spoke up, twiding his thumbs.  
"That is correct young man. Whatever you all stays within this room." Dr. Brenton said, looking amongst them.

  
Richie looked up at Jane, who nodded with a small smile. The kids looked over at their parents and Mike looked at El. El looked at at her family before at Helen. She couldn't describe it, but the elderly woman made her feel warm and safe. The same feeling she felt around Hopper and Joyce and Karen. El knew a good person when she felt them.  
El nodded with her signature soft smile. She looked back at her son. Richie nodded and let out a shaky breath.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So this was kind of dark.... 
> 
> I told myself to stop being so damn fluffy and this is the result. Did you guys like this? Do you wanna see more or is angst not my strong suit?
> 
> But on a more lighter note, I need to name this series and I have no idea what to call it. So please some suggestions and I'll choose my favorite! See ya guys! Ps. You look pretty. Really pretty <3


End file.
